Composite - as Diffusion Barrier/Nucleation Layer for HTS Coated Conductors Based on IBAD MgO

• Published in: IEEE transactions on applied superconductivity Vol. 19; no. 3; pp. 3459 - 3462
• Main Authors: Stan, L., Feldmann, D.M., Usov, I.O., Holesinger, T.G., Maiorov, B., Civale, L., DePaula, R.F., Dowden, P.C., Quanxi Jia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01.06.2009; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Buffer layers; Carbon capture and storage; coated conductors; Conductors; Costs; Fabrication; High temperature superconductors; ion beam assisted deposition; Ion beams; MgO; Production; Superconducting epitaxial layers; Superconducting films; YBCO; Yttrium barium copper oxide
• ISSN: 1051-8223; 1558-2515
• DOI: 10.1109/TASC.2009.2017923

A composite layer has been successfully implemented in high temperature superconducting (HTS) coated conductors (CCs) based on ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD) MgO technology. This layer serves a dual function: a nucleation layer for the growth of high quality biaxially aligned MgO and a diffusion barrier to inhibit interdiffusion between the Ni-alloy substrate and the superconductor. The composition of the composite Y 2 O 3 -Al 2 O 3 influences the texture and superconducting properties of YBCO films grown on STO buffered MgO/Y 2 O 3 -Al 2 O 3 /Ni-alloy. Our experimental results demonstrate that the superconducting properties of YBCO grown on STO buffered MgO/Y 2 O 3 -Al 2 O 3 /Ni-alloy are comparable with those of YBCO on standard architecture. The use of a single composite Y 2 O 3 -Al 2 O 3 layer instead of individual layers of Y 2 O 3 and Al 2 O 3 for the fabrication of HTS CCs based on IBAD MgO provides advantages such as simplified architecture and potentially reduced cost due to the reduced number of fabrication steps.